Biocontrol Science and Technology (1996) 6, 509-520

Fang-Hao Wan, Peter Harris, Lei-Ming Cai and Mao-Xin Zhang (1996)
Biology and ecology of Altica carduorum Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera from north-western China: A potential biocontrol agent for Cirsium arvense Asteraceae in Canada
Biocontrol Science and Technology 6 (4), 509-520
Abstract: The biotype of the defoliating beetle, Altica carduroum, from Wusu Xinjiang, China was studied as a biocontrol agent for Cirsium arvense in Canada. At Wusu, the beetle is particularly damaging to C. arvense in irrigated crops and fallow fields. A release of 300 adult A. carduorum at Urumqi, Xinjiang, dispersed to cover an area with a radius of 600 m by the following year, where it destroyed almost 60 of C. arvense leaves and resulted in plant wilting at a density of 4.5 beetles plant. Laboratory studies of the beetle' s development of 2 C intervals from 15 to 27 C identified the optimum developmental temperature as 25.5 C. Beetles reared at this temperature laid an average of 245 eggs, with a 41-fold generation increase. Habitat comparisons between biotypes of A. carduorum from Wusu and Europe suggest that the Wusu biotype may be better suited as a biocontrol agent of C. arvense on the Canadian prairies.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Fang Hao Wan

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Cirsium arvense (weed)	Grasses/turf/rangeland
Altica carduorum (weed bioagent)	Cirsium arvense (weed)		China (NW)